Hoshi
by puresunlight
Summary: From now on, then, that will be our star. It will always be with you, even when I can't... Oneshot. AxM Rated for language


Another one-shot! Aieee! This one, IMO, short and sweet. WAFF ALERT! It's not technically AxM, but it's teenage!Aoshi and little!Misao…

Disclaimer: Sigh…if I owned RK, I'd glomp Aoshi all day…

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**Hoshi**

By Bringer of the Sun

Aoshi Shinomori stared intently at the little girl curled around his arm. Somehow, Misao had conned him into sitting here with her, on the porch, to simply watch the evening sky. He was rather amazed at how still she was. Misao was usually a perpetual motion machine. He had hardly ever seen her _walk._ She was always skipping or running, even adding in the occasional cartwheel.

_Or she used to…until she knocked over an entire pile of clean dishes in the kitchen._

Misao shifted slightly but didn't move, much less release the death grip she had on his arm.

_She looks more like a ball of hair than a child from this angle._

Aoshi's lips twitched mischievously. Lifting his hand, he reached out and ruffled the black mass. Immediately, she squeaked and wriggled away from him, an indignant pout on her chubby six-year-old face.

"Time for bed, Misao-chan," he said sternly. He regretted his words as soon as they left his lips, as her turquoise eyes flashed immediately in defiance before turning large and teary.

"But Aoshi-sama…" she all but whimpered. He sighed. It was that darn lost-puppy look again…

_Six years old and she knows how to manipulate people…Okon and Omasu have begun to corrupt her already._

"Just a little bit longer, onegai? The sky's soooo pretty…" she pleaded.

_You might as well just give in._

Another glance at those teary orbs proved him to be a lost cause.

"Ten more minutes," he conceded, sitting back down on the porch. Squealing, she immediately re-latched onto his arm and proceeded to snuggle said limb. Together, they watched the stars appear with the deepening summer night.

"Nee, Aoshi-sama?"

"Hm?"

"Where do the stars go during the day?"

"…"

"Aoshi-sama?" Misao tugged gently at his sleeve.

_Think. Fast._

"They go to sleep, Misao."

"But if the stars sleep during the day and wake up at night, why can't I do that, too?" She was pouting now.

_Way to dig your own grave, Shinomori._

Aoshi grimaced. "They come out at night to protect you when you sleep, to watch over you when I can't. They come out to give you happy dreams so you won't be lonely at night."

Misao's eyes grew and as round as saucers and alit with pure joy. "Hontou ni? Sugoi!" she exclaimed. Bouncing up from her spot on the porch, she flung out her arms and tilted her head up to the heavens, her unbound hair tumbling wildly about her. "Domo arigatou!"

The stars flickered in response.

_Damn I'm going to miss her._

He had originally brought her outside to tell her that he would be leaving tomorrow, but hadn't been able to find the words.

_She's so happy._

He watched Misao's antics fondly. He had no doubt now that this was what he would miss most when he left. Her unwavering hero-worship had been the one thing that he could always count on, always ready to heal his broken pride. But what he would miss more than her unconditional adoration was her innocence, her joy and her laughter. Yes, he would definitely miss this child so choc-full of mischief, but he also had to leave.

_I cannot sit by and watch the Oniwabanshuu name be slandered any further._

But Misao would never understand. Her world was that of butterflies and sunshine. Politics and betrayal had no place there. Aoshi's eyes darkened.

_I'm sorry, Misao…_

"Pick a star, 'Sao," he commanded softly. Scrunching her brow, Misao scoured the sky diligently until she found the perfect star.

"This one!" One small finger pointed delicately to the brightest star in sight. She did not see the sad smile on Aoshi's lips.

"From now on, then, that will be our star. It will always be with you, even when I can't."

Misao giggled in response. "But Aoshi-sama and Misao will be together always, and when I grow up, Misao will be able to play with Aoshi all day because then Jiya and all the other big people won't be able to tell me what to do because I will be a big person too!" she declared, wrapping her little arms around him in a spontaneous hug. "Little star! I wish for Aoshi-sama to stay with me forever and ever and ever!"

Aoshi suddenly found it very hard to speak.

"Let's get you to bed, Misao-hime," he said rather hoarsely. She stretched out her arms to be picked up, and Aoshi deftly swung the child onto his back.

"Go horsey, go!" she commanded, laughing as her hands latched onto his hair before flicking them as if they were reins. Aoshi winced. Misao spent far too much time watching people go by on the street in front of Aoiya.

_Be thankful she's not kicking you into a gallop_..._The Okashira of the Oniwabanshuu reduced to a packhorse…_

He hastily delivered her to her room. Tucking the girl in her futon, he turned to leave.

"Nee, Aoshi-sama?"

_Uh-oh._

"Yes, Misao?"

"Stay with me until I fall asleep? Jiya says that monsters will come eat me if I'm awake and it's dark and –"

Aoshi clasped a hand over her mouth. "Go to sleep. I will stay here until you sleep." He sat down by her futon.

"And Aoshi-sama will keep away any monsters?"

"Aa. Sleep, Misao."

Instinctively, he reached out to stroke her hair softly.

Smiling, Misao closed her eyes, completely at peace.

_Gomen ne, Misao-chan…_

When Misao woke up the next morning, she found a jar of paper stars in every color of the rainbow sitting in Aoshi's place.

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_You once said, long ago_

_While stroking my hair,_

"_When you wake up there'll be_

_A nice present waiting for you_

_By your pillow."_

_I lay sleeping with my arms_

_Crossed around my chest,_

_Looking forward to the morning._

_When I woke up, I found_

_By my pillow a teddy bear…_

_In place of you._

-Teddy Bear, by Ayumi Hamasaki-

OWARI

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Translations: 

Hoshi- Stars

Onegai- Please

Nee- Translates to something like "hey"

Hontou ni- Really

Sugoi- Wow

Domo arigatou- thank you very much

Aa- Yes

Gomen ne- I'm sorry

Owari- end

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Questions? Comments? R&R! 


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